Back to the Dreamtime

â€Å"Back to the Dreamtime† wrote by H. Q. Mitchell showed that a teenage Aboriginal boy, Richard, who was a boy raised in white Australian society, however he never forget to claim himself as an Aboriginal. Therefore, he never give up to find his father’s burial ground. Richard, his brother, and his best friend on a journey of self-discovery, mystery and adventure through the Australian outback. In this novel â€Å"Back to the Dreamtime†, there are several main characters, but I would like to choose Richard and Tom to show the relationship between two of them in this novel.Richard and Tom are full of respect, they do a lot of things together, adventurous, reluctant to separate with families, and also helpful and obedient children. Richard and Tom are same ages brother, even though Richard was adopted by Tom’s parents, that’s means that they are not natural brother. They showed their respect to each other in this novel. Tom respect Richard and trea ts Richard as his biological brother. He also respects Richard as an Aboriginal and accepted him. Richard respects Joe and Sonya, even though they are only their adoptive parents.Besides, Richard and Tom do a lot of thing together. For an example, they were playing cricket together in the backyard and cleaned the attic together, so that they found the aboriginal carving on the attic. The most important is Tom went together with Richard to find his father’s burial ground. This showed that they prefer do a lot of thing together. Furthermore, both of them are adventurous. They are courageous to find Richard’s father’s burial ground without bring along with their parents.This showed that they have the spirit to adventure. Moreover, they brave to face the challenges and do not fear anything that may be will happened on them. In addition, they reluctant to separate with families. After Richard had found his father’s burial ground, he should leave with Tom and B radley, however Richard decided to stay at Hermannsburg Mission to help with odd jobs around. Tom showed his reluctant to leave his brother Richard. Richard also reluctant to leave his families so he asked Tom to take care himself hen he was waved goodbye to him. Last but not least, Richard and Tom are helpful and obedient children. Tom showed his helpful when he helped Richard to find his father’s burial ground at Uluru. It can be proved by when Richard said to Tom â€Å" I couldn’t have done this without your help. Thank you for your support. † They are obedient children because they listened to their parents when their parents asked them to clean the attic, they cleaned the attic without any objection. This showed they are obedient.In conclusion, I learned a lot of moral value between Richard and Tom. They are same ages brother but they don’t have many argument. In this condition, they showed love to each other. Moreover, Tom helped Richard to find his father’s burial ground with his sincere heart. Richard also get along very well with his adoptive families. The theme I learn in this novel is love is powerful. Richard’s parents, Sonya and Joe was worried about Richard. But they still allowed him to go to Alice Springs because they know it is important for him.

Ghana is a mixed but capitalist oriented economy” critically examine this statement Essay

There is not one single definition for a mixed economy, but the definitions always involve a degree of private economic freedom mixed with a degree of government regulation of markets. A mixed economy is an economic system in which both the private enterprise and a degree of state monopoly (usually in public services, defence, infrastructure, and basic industries) coexist. Investopedia defines a mixed economy as an economic system that features characteristics of both capitalism and socialism. A mixed economic system allows a level of private economic freedom in the use of capital, but also allows for governments to interfere in economic activities in order to achieve social aims. This type of economic system is less efficient than capitalism, but more efficient than socialism. All modern economies are mixed where the means of production are shared between the private and public sectors. A mixed economy is also called a dual economy. Most modern economies feature a synthesis of two o r more economic systems. The public sector works alongside the private sector, but may compete for the same limited resources. Mixed economic systems do not block the private sector from profit-seeking, but do monitor profit levels and may nationalize companies that are deemed to go against the public good. Mixed economic systems are not laissez-faire systems: the government is involved in planning the use of resources and can exert control over businesses in the private sector. Governments may seek to redistribute wealth by taxing the private sector, and using funds from taxes to promote social objectives. Capitalism allows prices to be set by supply and demand forces and socialism fixes prices through central planning. Capitalism is a socio-economic system that allows private owners to profit from the goods and services they provide. Investopedia defines capitalism as an economic system based on the private ownership of capital and production inputs, and on the production of goods and services for profit. The production of goods and services is based on supply and demand in the general market (market economy), rather than through central planning (planned economy). Capitalism is generally characterized by competition between producers. Other facets, such as the participation of govern ment in production and regulation, vary  across models of capitalism. One of the cornerstones of this system is the right of the individual to choose what to produce, how to produce it, and what price to sell it for. It is popular in  nations that value the freedom of the individual over the stability of the society. Most modern nations use some form of capitalism, such as state, corporate, or social market. Capitalism is also called the free market system. Capitalism requires unregulated supply and demand and little or no government interference in matters of trade. Each individual is free to produce what he or she wants and to sell it at whatever price the market will support. These decisions are typically made by the laws of supply and demand: if there is no demand for a particular product, the producer won’t be able to make a profit, but if the demand is high, he Capitalism is often closely associated with economic growth, as production and price are determined by the market rather than by governments. Private property rights provide individuals with the freedom to produce goods and services they can sell in the market. In the 1990s, the government continued to play a decisive role in the direction and pace of economic development in Ghana. Under the Economic Recovery Program initiated in 1983, the government tried to shift the burden of economic growth from government to the private sector through a dual strategy of cutting government spending and promoting private production. In particular, the government tried to boost export production through currency devaluations, tax incentives, and government-funded development projects. At the same time, budget deficits were almost entirely wiped out. Currently, Ghana is a mixed economy but depends mostly on the private sectors. The production of goods and services in Ghana is based on supply and demand in the general market (market economy), rather than through central planning (planned economy). With Ghana’s economic system, trade, industry and the means of production are controlled by private owners with the goal of making profits in a market economy. It can therefore be concluded that Ghana is a mixed but capitalist economy.

Management Theory & Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Management Theory & Practice - Essay Example Organizations as well as managers are often confronted with highly dynamic and multifaceted operating environments. These challenges may include a range of factors such as sudden change in technologies, making the existing ones obsolete; or the launch of new innovative product ideas; or the change in customer’s tastes and preferences on account of change in the external global environment. While on one hand, organizations and managers, congregate with the markets in which they operate, to deal with such revolutionary transformations, there is on the other hand, an increasing sense of realization which indicates the need for adoption of a holistic approach for marketing of their products in order to cope with the market demand. All this combined with the universal capability to imitate both hard as well as soft innovations within the rapidly shrink time frame, places the ability of effectively adapting to the changing market demands, at the top of the â€Å"must have core comp etencies list†. The 21st century internet age which is ably sustained by a well integrated business infrastructure for marketing of their products, complete with state of the art technologies and an effective supply chain network, change is here to stay. This new â€Å"e-world† in the electronic age, is highly fragile which has no place for preset plans, or predefined change management techniques, and wherein age old conventions and set rules are continuously being challenged and threatened. It is hence imperative for organizations to adapt themselves to the dynamic external environment in order to sustain their competitive positioning in the industry and retain their hold on the markets as well as their consumers. Although almost all organizations have a proactive approach towards change, with detailed and precise mission and vision statements and future goals that determine their prospective aims, these organizations often react on the basis of the

Concrete Repair, Rehabilitation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Concrete Repair, Rehabilitation - Essay Example There are some published works concerning the influence of roughness and moisture properties of the substrate surface on the bond strength with added layer. But, most works concentrate only on one characteristic of roughness or moisture or test method etc., at one time. Further, roughness is assessed only qualitatively, by observing the substrate surface and by classifying it as very smooth, smooth, rough. In the Eurocode 2 (Eurocode 2, 2003) it is stated that for shear at interface between concrete cast at different times, "in the absence of more detailed information, surfaces may be classified as very smooth, smooth, rough or indented". This kind of roughness evaluation has disadvantage due to subjective results. Thus, this dissertation aims to carry out an experimental study for evaluating the effect of different surface conditions on the bond between two concretes and to compare the effects of different roughness conditions relative to quantified roughness parameters. It is antic ipated that with this study, a suitable condition for substrate surface for optimum bond will be established. The researcher wishes to convey his profound gratitude and sincerest appreciation to those who have extended much effort and assistance contributory to the success of the dissertation. His deepest indebtedness goes particularly to the following: Almighty God, for giving him strength, wisdom, and vision to finish his study; His Supervisor, for his guidance and suggestions to improve the research work; His family, who reassured, inspired, and supported him morally, and financially; His colleague and friends, for their words of encouragement; All others who helped the researcher make this dissertation possible. TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page Abstract Acknowledgment Table of Contents List of Figures CHAPTER 1 - Introduction General Adhesion Literature Review CHAPTER 2 - Methodology Test Methods Shear Tests Direct Shear Test CHAPTER 3 - Experimental Details Concrete Mix Properties Sample Details Test Details CHAPTER 4 - Results & Discussions CHAPTER 5 - Conclusions & Recommendations LIST OF FIGURES CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Concrete remains an indispensable construction material because of its flexibility, durability and workability. With time, however, concrete structures deteriorate and weaken, thus repair and restructuring is inevitable. Signs of deterioration or defects such as cracks on the structures are often perceived as indicators of the need to perform maintenance. Concrete repairs usually require adding of new concrete to existing old concrete element to protract the 'useful life of an existing structure, to restore its load-carrying capacity and stiffness, and to strengthen its members' (Bissonnette, et al., 2009). Some of the most commonly used cementing materials in the production of the new overlay include resin, mortar, mortar purified with latex, ordinary concrete (OC),

Tips for Trainers Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Tips for Trainers - Research Paper Example article, the comic trainee who attempts to make jokes and a well delivered joke uplifts the session while a mistimed one or an explicit one can increase awkwardness. This particular type lies somewhere between the chatterboxes and the challengers as they tend to add unwanted humor based on their own experiences, most of the time with long explanations (Shetty, 2010). One can counter chatterboxes (talkative) trainees by paying more attention to them and asking them questions about the training subject. The introverts or slow learners (passive) trainees may open up if they are paired up with chatterboxes and made leaders of the group in training activities, asking them questions can result in a childish silence so encourage them in non-direct ways or throw really easy questions at them. The know-it-all or challenger (angry) type can be handled by recognizing their contribution and then throwing the same question back at them, new information or facts can satisfy them and only a confident trainer would subdue their high self confidence so knowing the inside out of subject area is very important, irrelevant questions or experiences can be kept for after the training discussion usually held one to one. You do not want to hurt somebody’s feelings as a trainer, if a joke is delivered well and taken well by the participants then the comedian can get confident and make more tries although as a trainer you have an agenda to follow hence you should always tell the participants that the session is for learning purpose and that we should get back to the topic at

Employment law problem question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Employment law problem question - Essay Example The change in time prevents him from seeking employment elsewhere. His case is different from that of his fellow workers who can manage to work for other employers2. He is restricted from engaging in other activity because he has to be around his work place just in case residents require his help. His job requires that he remains standing throughout his job time and he is therefore qualified for employment on full time compensation. 3 Husain’s agreement with his employer indicates certain aspects that qualify him as an employee and not merely an individual on contract: he is obligated to undertake work even after the end of his shift, the obligation is mutual and he is expressly and impliedly under the control of his employer to a sufficient degree. Mutuality of obligation between Hussain and Caring Community Ltd requires him to undertake work when he is not in his shift thereby granting his employment status and rights. In the case Wilson v Circular Distributors Ltd, there was a provision similar to that of Hussain and Caring Community Ltd. In the case, Mr. Wilson was not required to be paid at times when there was no work available for him. His employer, Circular Distributors Ltd, argued in a tribunal that the provision of ‘no work no pay’ did not equate into an employment relationship4. However, the employer’s appeal tribunal ruled that owing to the fact that Mr. Wilson and his employer had a mutuality of obligation where Mr. Wilson was required to accept the job if and when it was available; it amounted to an employment relationship5. From the ruling, he would be paid even for the hours that he was not working. Applying his precedence in Husain’s case shows that he is entitled to payment for the hours that he is sleeping based on mutuality of obligation and his status as an employer6. Hussain is entitled to payment even when under rest. According to employment rights act, employees working under the zero hour

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 119

Assignment Example Malachai started the business when he was in college and now he owns and manages the small service-oriented business by providing price quotes, hiring student painters, purchasing supplies, and advertising their services. He currently employs 22 painters and pays them $10.50 per hour for painting and â€Å"prep-work† (scraping old paint, caulking, cleaning and removing bugs from the areas that are to be painted). In order to be profitable, Malachai has learned to provide superior service to his customers, including free price quotes. He builds in his profit-margin of 25% to all quotes by first computing his total costs, then adding 25% of that number to determine how much to charge the customer. Using his knowledge of the expenses for labor, supplies, and equipment, he has developed the following information: b. (5 points) The Marks family needs to get the outside of their house painted, including the siding as well as the white trim. Malachai estimates that area of the exterior of the house is about 8,000 square feet. Based on the condition of the Marks’ house he also estimates that he will need 2 workers for 8 hours to do the prep-work. How much should Malachai quote for the cost of this job, including labor, supplies, and profit? c. (5 points) Write a formula reflecting the price estimate for a house based on the number of square feet that need to be painted. Assume that Malachai can accurately estimate the painted area (in square feet) and the amount of time it takes to complete the prep-work on a job. d. (10 points) What do you think? Using the evidence from above, explain in a well-structured essay the importance of accurate cost estimates in a service-oriented business such as this. Research at least one other service-oriented business such as a restaurant, dry-cleaners, house-cleaning service and describe how they set

To What Extent Did Ivan Vyshnegradsky and Sergei Witte Industrialize Essay

To What Extent Did Ivan Vyshnegradsky and Sergei Witte Industrialize 19thcentury Russia - Essay Example Others state that the minister intelligently participated in joint stock companies achieving his state of wealth. Born from parents of the priestly family, the minister graduated from college and thought mathematics and mechanics in a military institution. St Petersburg educational institution is where the minister lectured. Ivan rose to the position of state council in the year 1886. In the year 1887, he became finance minister of Russia. The minister pursued various policies and objectives. Some of his objective in the policies of the ministry increase government interfering with private railways. Some of these policies include the nationalization of the least performing railways. The other important activity of the minister was the preparation of monetary reforms (Alston 904). The other important policy sought by the ministry includes the settlement of the budget deficit. The ministry was also proactive in providing support to domestic industries in the country. When the name of Sergei Witte comes to discussion, various qualities of him take form. The man was a highly influential individual in policy making in Russian. Sergai was at the helm of the ministry during the first Russian revolution. As a minister during that period, the Russian minister saw the abolition of serfdom. The power of the minister was even higher with his relation with reign of Nicholas II. He devoted his life to the adherence of absolute Monarchy. The Minister had an approach to some moral qualities. On the other hand, the leader had a great wealth of wisdom. After his appointment to the ministry, Sergei became the most influential member of the government. His ministry had a positive inferential that is the reason he was successful. On the other hand, the minister implemented a number of reforms in the ministry of Finance. Some of his policies saw the transforming of the economy. The minister was able to transform the economy from a dropping level to a stable scale. The other

Business Process Analysis and Improvement Essay

Business Process Analysis and Improvement - Essay Example Seethamraju and Marjanovic (920) indicate that among other things increased competition, in shareholder requirements and new technologies are forcing organizations to make major changes very quickly. In TS’s case, customer requirements are driving these changes and BPM is required in order to respond appropriately. The CEO is not pleased with the current process and is concerned that the survival of the business is at stake. The recruitment process needs to be improved in order to make it faster, cheaper and more flexible as well as to achieve better quality results. The task is to investigate the process and analyze the current issues and provide well-argued proposals for the short-term and long-term future of the process. Only the first part of the process will be looked at and so the task is to carry out a detailed analysis of the coordination of the recruitment advertising and vacancy processing process. One of the aims is to ensure that information on job openings are kno wn early so that the process can be completed in an efficient and effective manner. As noted the primary goal of the recruitment process is fast processing time and high client satisfaction. The current recruitment process at TS is rather lengthy and comprehensive. The result is that the private sector gets the best candidate because their process is more efficient and effective. The following are some of the issues at TS which has been having a negative impact on the service that the organization offers. Instructions relating to the recruitment process should be applied on a consistent basis throughout the organization. Exceptions should only relate to jobs for which no specific qualifications are required. Updated instructions should be made available to all personnel to whom it is applicable. This requires updates to be done regularly as part of the continuous improvement process which is a feature of business process improvement.

A Template for Structural Analysis of an Industry Essay Example for Free

A Template for Structural Analysis of an Industry Essay Corporate Strategy and Policy A Template for Structural Analysis of an Industry You can use the following template for analyzing the structure of an industry. It requires you to rate the attractiveness of an industry on a 5-point scale for several factors relating to each of the five forces in Porter’s (1980) model. (A 7-point or a 10-point scale would perhaps be even better in that it would allow finer discrimination between two businesses with different levels of attractiveness. But the 5-point scale is relatively much easier to use. To help you in the ratings, the template provides the anchors at the two ends of the scale for each factor with examples of industries corresponding to the anchors. You will note that we have included separate sections in the template for exit barriers and government. The former contributes to rivalry among competitors (and is, therefore, not a sixth force). The latter, according to some, should be treated as the sixth force, although Porter says the effect of government on an industry is felt through one or more of the five forces. If you want, you can attach different weights to different forces and also to different factors within each force. If an industry has different segments that are structurally different, you can separately analyze the attractiveness of each segment. You can also analyze the changes in industry structure by using the template at two different points of time (for instance, today and five years from now) to obtain greater insight into likely opportunities and threats that you can expect from the industry environment. To reduce the element of subjectivity, you can get the attractiveness evaluated by several colleagues and arrive at average scores. Even the weights of different factors and forces could be based on the opinion of your colleagues and you could attach greater weight to the opinion of colleagues with greater expertise. Use your creativity to benefit from this tool. You can use the remarks column to annotate your ratings. For instance, consider the first factor in Table 1 (number of competitors).

Aims and Provisions of the 2004 Children’s Act

Aims and Provisions of the 2004 Children’s Act The Children’s Act 2004 The Children’s Act introduced in 2004 aimed to address concerns about the protection of children. As such, to a significant extent it built on the provisions of the 1989 Children’s Act. Above all, the main motivation for establishing a new act relating to children was a series of high profiled cases involving abuse against young children. Moreover, many people felt that the provisions of the 1989 act failed to fully unite the various different organisations that are involved in the protection of children.[1] The purpose of this essay is to examine the aims and provisions of the 2004 Children’s Act. Above all, we will see that the 2004 act aimed to bring about a series of changes that would allow for greater cooperation between various different agencies and organisations. This change has also taken place across the wide general area of social policy in Britain. The name given to this process of greater cooperation is collaborative partnerships.[2] The idea behind this new initiative is that if differing groups involved in social service provision work together then there will be greater possibilities for safeguarding the security and interests of children. However, before I go into detail on this subject let us first examine the reasons and cases that brought about the 2004 Children’s Act. Ultimately, the aim of the 2004 Children’s Act was to build on the previous legislation passed in 1989 and further the possibilities for effective child protection. However, another further motivating factor was the murder of Victoria Climbie in 2000. Nine-year-old Victoria was abused and murdered by her guardians in her London home. The public and media outcry following the case was enormous. Furthermore, it was widely felt that the case had highlighted serious problems within the children protection service. Above all, it was felt that different agencies had failed to act in unison in the months and years prior to Victoria’s murder. As such, a series of new ideas and approaches were adopted towards the protection of children.[3] This new wish to provide better and more effective protection can be seen in the form of two moves. Firstly, the establishment of the Every Child Matters programme and secondly the passing of the 2004 Children’s Act. Every Child Matters was launched in 2003 and aimed to ensure that all children regardless of the financial or social background would be able to achieve their full potential in life.[4] Furthermore, Every Child Matters was set up in an attempt to allow for greater cooperation between varying agencies and organisations involved with children. The setting up of Every Child Matters was a prelude aimed at laying the basis for the Children’s Act of 2004. The Children Act itself aimed to put in place a legal framework, which would provide better protection for children and greater levels of efficiency in the organisations charged with child protection. Local authorities were to receive more support and advice on how to carry out better service for children. There were also changes to the law with regard foster homes, caring and babysitting services, and adoption services. However, although all these issues are very important provisions within the act, the ultimate purpose was to create far greater levels of cooperation and multi agency action in relation to the protection of children.[5] Above all, the Victoria Climbie case had highlighted the extent to which there was little cooperation between different agencies in terms of child protection. Furthermore, it was now realised that there were a considerable number of organisations and agencies that could play a role in child protection. Naturally, local authority child protection services were seen as the most important agency. However, it was clearly vital that child protection services needed to work in close collaboration with other agencies. Therefore, agencies such as the police, school authorities, social services, doctors and charity organisations now all work together in order to provide better protection for vulnerable children. Because each agency has a unique role to play in relation to children it is hoped that such collaborative partnerships will produce better services for children.[6] For example, if a social worker feels that a particular child is in possible danger, they can call upon the expertise an d opinion of a variety of other professionals such as the child’s schoolteacher or doctor. Therefore, with everyone working together for same purpose possible problems can be highlighted and dealt with in a much more effective manner. Now although the 2004 act and Every Children Matters has brought about significant changes to the way in which child protection services operate, there have nonetheless been serious problems. For example, it is sometimes difficult to bring different agencies together in combination when they have previously not worked in collaboration.[7] Also, different agencies may have very different ways of understanding a particular situation, such as that of a social worker compared to a police officer. Very recently such problems have been highlighted in the form of another tragic and horrible case. The case of baby P shows above all the extent to which collaboration between multi agency organisations can break down with terrible consequences. Doctors, police and social services failed to work together effectively enough to protect baby P and therefore the case shows the possible problems that could continue in the future. In conclusion, the main reasons behind the 2004 Children’s Act have been discussed. Above all, it is clear that both the act and the Every Child Matters initiative came about because of perceived failings within the child protection service as highlighted in the case of Victoria Climbie. Above all, government has attempted to enact a system whereby agencies involved with children work in collaboration to achieve better levels of protection. However, although such moves are positive the case of baby P highlights the extent to which there are still serious problems. Ultimately, it will take a considerable time for such moves to work effectively. Cree, Viviane and Myers, Steve. Social Work: making a difference, Bristol: Policy, 2008. Sheldon, Brian and Macdonald, Geraldine. A Textbook of Social Work, London: Routledge, 2008. UK Government, Every Child Matters: Change for Children, â€Å"Children’s Act 2004: guidance on the duty to cooperate† http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/strategy/guidance/, date accessed, 01/01/2009. UK Government, Every Child Matters: Change for Children, â€Å"Aims and Outcomes†, http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/aims/, date accessed, 01/01/2009. 1 Footnotes [1] Brian Sheldon, and Geraldine Macdonald. A Textbook of Social Work, London: Routledge, 2008, p. 96. [2] Ibid. p.25. [3] Vivienne Cree, and Steve Myers. Social Work: making a difference, Bristol: Policy, 2008, p. 103. [4] UK Government, Every Child Matters: Change for Children, â€Å"Aims and Outcomes†, http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/aims/, date accessed, 01/01/2009. [5] UK Government, Every Child Matters: Change for Children, â€Å"Children’s Act 2004: guidance on the duty to cooperate† [6] Cree and Myers, Social Work, 2008, p.113. [7] Ibid, p.116.

Toothbrushes and Tofu :: Short Story Papers

Toothbrushes and Tofu "Yay hyperchocolate hazelnut cake Yay apricot baklava Yay carrot cake and apple crisp Yay periwinkle dining room trim Yay co-ops" - Watermyn house journal, 1986 The co-op is on the corner of Waterman and Governor streets, hunkered there like an old man, into a dilapidated permanence. Two enormous cherry trees occupy the front yard; in the fall their golden leaves are left in peace to coat the lawn until they rot or blow away. A tangled cluster of bicycles clings to a metal sculpture that is perched like an insect under the largest tree. The front garden sprouts renegade tomato plants and Echinacea flowers, long taken over with weeds, and a tin sign hangs feebly from a piece of yellow pipe, its faded letters announcing, "Watermyn Co-op Garden." The newly built front porch smells of wet, cut wood and supports a ratty looking couch, a small mosaiced table, and half a dozen un-opened Wall Street Journals. The Watermyn kitchen never fails to be a stimulating experience. This Sunday night is no exception. Ian and Allison chop vegetables, and the counters swim in piles of mushrooms, carrots, spinach, bowls of crumbled tofu and pans spread with thick pizza dough. Liz Phair plays on the stereo, just loud enough to inhibit a normal decibel of conversation. Old crumpled newspapers litter the two couches beneath the stereo, and rows of red-capped spices, cereal boxes and other assorted dried goods line the racks above the counters. Clippings, sketches and posters plaster the refrigerator and walls. Broken kitchen appliances are stuck above the fridge with black electrical tape and someone has scrawled above them in black marker, "Kitchen appliance graveyard - where all good cooking tools come to die." Ian is tall, with a warm smile and a worn-in look, faded and comfortable like someone's favorite sneakers. He groans as he opens up rotting bags of spinach, "How long has this been in the fridge? I'm not going to use this. Do you think I should use this? No, no one will want to eat this." Allison doesn't offer any suggestions. She smiles unconcernedly and slides an assembled pizza into the oven, holding her long brown hair back with one hand. Dinner is served at 6:30 and in a few minutes co-opers will begin to wander into the kitchen and common rooms, lured by the smell of cooking dough and stir-fried garlic.

Dover Beach Essay -- essays research papers

In the poem "Dover Beach",witten in 1867 Matthew Arnold creates the mood of the poem through the usage of different types of imagery. He uses a dramatic plot in the form of a soliloquy. Arnold also uses descriptive adjectives, similes and metaphors to create the mood. Through the use of these literary elements, Arnold portrays the man standing before the window pondering the sound of the pebbles tossing in the waves as representation of human suffering. The man arrives at the vision of humanity being helpless against nature. Arnold creates the mood by suggesting mental pictures, actions, sights and sounds the man sees. Some examples are "folds of a bright girdle furled", "lie before us like a land of dreams" and "moon-blanched land". Arnold's use of different types of imagery and descriptive adjectives to induce sensory impressions of the setting, create the fluctuating mood of the poem, which is the eternal struggle of nature over man. In "Dover Beach", Matthew Arnold uses detailed adjectives and sensory imagery to describe the setting and portray the beginning mood, which begins with the illusion of natural beauty and ends with tragic human experience. The poem begins two-part stanzas, the first which is promising and hopeful; the second replaces optimism with a reality which is grim. Arnold uses contrast when he appeals to the sense of sight in the first section and to hearing in the second. Arnold starts with the descriptions of the "calm sea", "fair tide" and the "vast" cliffs which create a calming, innocent appearance. This sets the mood of peace and contentment which the speaker feels when he gazes out upon the sea. "Come to the window, sweet is the night-air", gives the reader the impression of a cool, summer night. The mood begins to be soothing and calming to the reader. Arnold then however, begins to change the tone. Arnold describes, "The grating ro ar of pebbles, Of the pebbles which the waves draw back", with "a tremulous cadence". This portrays the image of an imaginary battle on the land of Dover. Arnold writes of the horrible sound of the pebbles beating away at the land. The pebbles are eroding the land away, which the speaker thrives off of and adores. Arnold illustrates the man's internal battle with the land destroying his home... ...t". This metaphor ties together how the speaker's battle is very similar to a soldier's battle. The speaker's battle however, is futile to fight, because he knows he will never win. All in all, the fluctuating mood and usage of descriptive adjectives to illustrate the setting, tie the poem together and create the mood Arnold was looking to achieve. The image of the tides battling with the land when they meet, is merged with the consequent destiny of humanity to battle fruitless fights with nature. Arnold's method of illustrating the setting is different than the other two poems because he uses detailed imagery almost completely to reveal the mood of the story. He also uses a fluctuating plot that goes back and forth from human defeat to contentment. Jown Cowper, writer of "Suspended Judgements", critiqued Maupassant on "Dover Beach". Cowper said "Maupassant develops the mood by dividing the poem into three stanza to represent the speaker' s fluctuation from peace of mind to despair. This proves to be very effective, by showing the indecisiveness of the speaker. Maupassant also uses images of the setting to create the mood" (Cowper, 1919, 43).

Was the Outbreak of General War in 1914 Inevitable After the Assassination of Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand

Was the outbreak of general war in 1914 inevitable after the assassination of Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand? Various different factors led to the outbreak of the first World War- a war which incorporated all human, economic and military resources available to achieve total victory over the enemy. Roughly, the causes can be classified into long term (Franco-Prussian War, Imperialism, Alliance System, Anglo- German Naval Arms Race, etc. ), short term (Morrocan Crisis, Agadir Crisis, Bosnian Crisis, Balkan Wars) and the immediate cause of World War I: The assassination of Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo.Although all of the causes added to the outbreak of World War I, the assassination of Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand made the war inevitable for the European Powers. It took the last chance of a peaceful solution to the European conflict and can be classified as the most important immediate cause of the war. The assassination of Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand is seen as the most important immedi ate cause of World War I. On the 28th of June, Franz Ferdinand was shot by Gavrilo Princip, a member of the Slavic nationalist group â€Å"Black Hand Movement†, in Sarajevo, Bosnia.The Arch Duke had been on a good-will mission to Bosnia in order to calm the situation and bring peace to the region. Directly after the assassination, the Serbian Government was blamed by Austria-Hungary as being responsible for Franz Ferdinand’s death. This assumption may have been made because there were some few connections between members of the Serbian government and the â€Å"Black Hand Movement†. On the same day, Serbia denied any responsibility for the assassination.After this, the Austrian-Hungarian government assured itself of German Support on the 5th of July 1914 through the diplomat count Hoyos by sending a letter to Berlin which stated that it was almost sure that the Serbian Government was involved in the assassination. It also implied Austria-Hungary’s will to crush Serbia militarily in order to prevent a strong bulwark of Slavic nations under the leadership of Serbia. To the letter, Kaiser Wilhelm II answered that Austria-Hungary could â€Å"rest assured that his Majesty will faithfully stand by Austria-Hungary, as is required by the obligations of his alliance and of his ancient friendship†.After the German reassurance, Austria-Hungary proceeded by setting an ultimatum to Serbia on the 23rd of July with the following terms: 1. Officially condemn anti-Austrian publications and propaganda 2. Suppress anti-Austrian societies 3. Ban anti-Austrian teachers and books from their schools 4. Dismiss any government officials that Austria might name 5. Accept help from Austria in checking obnoxious propaganda 6. Allow Austrian officials to assist in the investigation of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.Serbia accepted all terms except the one that allowed Austrian officials to further investigate the murder of Franz Ferdinand on the 25th of July. T his marks the final trigger for the outbreak of World War I; on the 28th of July 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia and a fatal chain reaction began. One reason for the outbreak of World War I being inevitable after the assassination of Franz Ferdinand was that this assassination was the long awaited chance for Austria-Hungary and the other European Powers to begin a war. For Austria-Hungary, war was favorable because it aimed to gain power in the Balkan region.This was only possible if Serbia was in a weak position without the chance to interfere with Austrian-Hungarian interests. Furthermore, Austria-Hungary feared that a strong Serbian state would lead to a unified Slavic empire under the leadership of Serbia. Therefore, a military intervention to crush Serbia was in the interest of Austria-Hungary. For Germany, war was favorable because of the Weltpolitik principle, according to which Germany wanted to seize a more important role in the World by territorial expansion a nd military power.Also, Germany was obliged to its alliance with Austria-Hungary and had to stand with its ally in case of war. Various German generals, e. g. von Moltke, believed that the July crisis was a good time for Germany to go to war in order to prevent being crushed by the entente powers and to preempt Russian mobilization in order to be able to fulfill the Schlieffen plan. Also, war was a good means of distraction from domestic problems in Germany, like the rise of socialist movements.For the Entente Powers Russia, France and Great Britain war was favorable because it gave them the possibility of weakening Germany, which had grown to a big threat for these powers. According to Pearce and Lowe, Great Britain had shown its will for war through the naval talks with Russia in 1914. Nonetheless, there is some ambiguity about Great Britain longing for a war of this scale. For Russia, war was favorable because it had to show strength after some weak responses to the Balkan Crises . Through the general mobilization, Russia reinforced this will.Only France did not really want to get involved in a large scale after the defeat in the Franco-Prussian war of 1871. Nonetheless, France had to mobilize after the German side took up the Schlieffen Plan. Another reason for war becoming inevitable was the Alliance System that was set up during the various European disputes before World War I. Austria-Hungary and Germany as well as Italy were connected in a Triple Alliance. On the other side, there was a Triple Entente between France, Russia and Great Britain. After the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, this took full effect.After the declaration of war on Serbia by Austria-Hungary on the 28th of July, Russia mobilized in order to protect Serbia. This brought Germany having to declare war on Russia on the 1st of August because of its guarantee to protect Austria-Hungary. In order to be able to fulfill the Schlieffen Plan (this plan was meant to quickly defeat France and to then focus on the Eastern Front in order for Germany not having to fight a two front war against France and Russia), Germany declared war on France shortly afterwards on the 3rd of August.This brought Great Britain into the war on the 4th of August because it had to declare war on Germany in order to hold its alliance with France. Lastly, Austria-Hungary declared war on Russia on the 6th of August in order to support Germany. So in only 9 days, all European powers were at war with each other. According to AJP Taylor, â€Å"World War I was a war by time table. † Through the alliance system, war was being made inevitable simply by the obligations of the European Powers towards each other.On the one hand, powers like France and Britain were not completely committed to beginning a world war; on the other hand they had to adhere to the clauses of the Triple Entente in order to stay under protection themselves and to not lose credibility while facing disputes around Europe. Over all, the Alliance System was one of the main reasons that made the outbreak of war inevitable after the assassination of Franz Ferdinand. One other reason for the outbreak of war becoming inevitable was the military preparation that had already taken place and that made it easy to act and easy to step into a war.Firstly, all of the European powers had increased their spending on military goods drastically. From 1872 to 1912, Germany’s armament spending increased by nearly 350 per cent, Russia’s by around 250 per cent and Britain’s by around 175 per cent. This shows, that all European Powers were already planning for war time. In 1914, the alliances had a strong military force and were about equal in their weaponry. Secondly, the European Powers all had finished war plans ready to be taken up very quickly. Germany had the Schlieffen Plan, France had Plan 17 and Austria-Hungary had Plan R.These plans included tactical movement and a detailed procedure of how to qu ickly outmaneuver the enemy. Through the existence of the plans, the European powers felt strong because they knew that they were prepared for a quick transition into war. This lowered the barrier for an outbreak of war very much. Through the war plans that were ready and the high military spending the outbreak of war was facilitated very much. Another reason that made war inevitable was the reliance of Austria-Hungary upon Germany. Had Austria-Hungary acted immediately, according to John Keegan, the war could have stayed only in the Balkan regions.Furthermore, according to Keegan, more communication could have prevented the First World War. Had all the European Powers communicated clearly their goals, negotiations and local wars could have been the consequence instead of a massive world war. Austria-Hungary lacked the courage to act independently in the Serbian Crisis. Germany wanted a diplomatic success but was not totally interested in taking part in a World War. Russia did not w ant the outbreak of a world war but did know that their support for Serbia would increase the probability of the outbreak of a world war.France had not yet mobilized but feared that Germany wanted to trigger a World War. Great Britain was reluctant to a war but would not leave France in danger of a German attack. Had all of these aims and thoughts been communicated clearly between the nations, then a war could possibly have been prevented. Through the Russian mobilization and the declaration of war on Serbia by Austria-Hungary with German support, the war was triggered before negotiations and peace talks could have taken place. Overall, war became inevitable after the assassination of Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand for various reasons.Firstly, many European Powers saw the assassination as the chance to get involved in a war to strengthen the own position. Secondly, the alliance system made it very hard to evade a war breaking out. Thirdly, the European powers had already done a lot of pr eparation for the war. This made the outbreak of war easier. Lastly, the lack of communication and negotiation between the European powers took the last chance of a peaceful solution. In my opinion, after the assassination of Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand, the outbreak of World War I became inevitable.

Compare the Roles That Elizabeth Proctor and Abigail Williams Play in The Crucible Essay

A mother, a wife, a friend: Abigail wanted to share a family with John Proctor. In some aspects she was jealous of Elizabeth, as she had the one thing in the world that Abigail desperately yearned for. â€Å"Oh, I marvel how such a strong man may let such a sickly wife be† We can see here that Abigail is being sarcastic to manipulate Proctor in falling for her. â€Å"Oh† shows she is taking a calm and subtle approach to get what she wants. Though Abigail is pretending to be angry at Elizabeth for being the cause of Proctors rejection towards her, we can clearly see that the empowering emotion over here is envy, towards Elizabeth and Proctors marriage. Abigail resorts to name calling to cast doubt in Proctors mind and she attempts to compliment Proctor to try and get a taste of everyday life as Elizabeth. The Status’s and reputation’s of the people in Salem were shockingly important to them. Labels and stereotypes were incredibly common and the people tried their utmost best to protect their prominence. To the locals Abigail Williams was an innocent orphan and the niece of the reverend, other than this they did not think much of her. So when she went out of her way to accuse the respected people and it became public gossip about the truth of her affair, Abigail’s cherished esteem in the community was suddenly questioned. â€Å"(In a temper): My name is good in the village! I will not have it said my name is soiled! Goody Proctor is a gossiping liar! † Arthur Miller has used short sentences to show the reader that Abigail is extremely angry; this is a quote from act 1, therefore it gives the reader an impression of Abigail’s character. Miller wanted to show the true colours of Abigail’s persona and he was successful in this. The exclamation marks shows the emphasise of her words, Abigail is fuming at this point and concentrates all that irritation at Elizabeth. From a orphanage, it was obviously hard for her to compose a â€Å"good name† for herself; however Abigail’s determination had driven her to demand a better life for herself. She did not want all her accomplishments to be shattered by â€Å"Elizabeth’s lies†, so tried to criticise her by calling her a â€Å"liar†. This challenges her character as the readers are perfectly aware of Abigail’s dishonest nature, we all know that she is the one who is deceitful and craves vengeance, and Elizabeth is the direct opposite. From the beginning of the play Abigail’s intentions were clear, she obviously wanted to develop her relationship with John Proctor and gain his respect. Abigail was a young, naive and narrow-minded maid who did anything to save herself, no matter who she disappointed along the way. Elizabeth was a totally different person. Elizabeth’s motivation came from the passion of raising her family; she wanted to restore the trust in her marriage to Proctor, for the benefit of her children. She was much older, wiser and she devoted her life to her religion. I wake and walk about the house as though I’d find you comin’ through some door† Miller gives a childish effect to this quote and makes Abigail sound like a love struck puppy, this reminds the reader that she is only a teenager. This quote illustrates that her love towards Proctor is enduring and it also demonstrates her repulsion towards Elizabeth. The witch trials were an obvious case of McCarthyism, the court of Salem did not require much evidence for prosecution. It was simply unjust! The people at the bottom of the social hierarchy system had an even inferior chance for survival. Although the people were given a chance to avoid death by â€Å"confessing to their sins†, this was an excessive act and showed that the people were deprived of rights. Elizabeth is understood to be extremely pious; she controls her emotions and buries her feelings of anger towards Abigail to avoid any uncontrollable outbursts of extreme emotions and frustration. However Abigail takes pride in her hysteria. This highlights the fact that the age difference between these 2 women is phenomenal. â€Å"He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him! Elizabeth is much more composed than Abigail, even though she is losing her husband she is happy for him, as she believes he is now at peace. Throughout the play John struggles with his feelings that he was not a good man. Hale tried his best to save John from being hanged to death but Elizabeth believes that he is finally going to be cleansed of his sins, as he has finally come out the dark about his affair. She loves him so much that she is willing to let him go. She feels that he is doing the right thing. She takes the name of God to justify herself. A Selfish, stubborn and shameless stray: Abigail was not the forgiving type. Once someone had double crossed her, she did not take it lightly; Abigail created fear in the hearts of her peers. She even turns against her friends to make her story more convincing. Due to the fact that her parents were shot in front of her, she has never learnt to accept this and this has limited her well- being, so she blames every one else. On the other hand Elizabeth was selfless and even though her â€Å"loyal† husband betrayed her integrity, she learnt to overcome this and forgave him. (in agony): My husband-is a goodly man, sir. † Unlike Abigail, Elizabeth has never told a lie in her life, however the one time it would save her life, she tried to save her husbands reputation. This may be an act to show forgiveness to Proctor as she may have thought it was her last opportunity to see him. She dedicated her life to being a good Puritan so wanted Proctor to live a peaceful and guilt- free life without her. However she may have felt that it was her duty to conceal the truth for her husband’s case, as she has been the one who has been more interested in preserving appearances. If they put aside their detestation towards each other, then they would actually have more in common than they let on. Firstly, they are in love with the same man, they are both religious and they both aspire to fulfil their motives (whatever they may be). Although they have extremely different intensions that drive them, they are both very ambitious and stubborn. They both try to exert influence on society as they want to be remembered after their deaths. Also, in the end they both lie, although for alternating reasons.

English Proficiency Essay

Language proficiency or linguistic proficiency is the ability of an individual to speak or perform in an acquired language. As theories vary among pedagogues as to what constitutes proficiency,[1] there is little consistency as to how different organizations classify it. Additionally, fluency and language competence are generally recognized as being related, but separate controversial subjects. In predominant frameworks in the United States, proficient speakers demonstrate both accuracy and fluency, and use a variety of discourse strategies.[2] Thus, native speakers of a language can be fluent without being considered proficient. ————————————————- Organizations ACTFL The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) distinguishes between proficiency and performance. In part, ACTFL’s definition of proficiency is derived from mandates issued by the US government, declaring that a limited English proficient student is one who comes from a non-English background and â€Å"who has sufficient difficulty speaking, reading, writing, or understanding the English language and whose difficulties may deny such an individual the opportunity to learn successfully in classrooms where the language of instruction is English or to participate fully in our society.† ACTFL views â€Å"performance† as being the combined effect of all three modes of communication: interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational. ————————————————- Proficiency frameworks Note that test scores may not correlate reliably, as different understandings of proficiency lead to different types of assessment: * FSI Test (Foreign Service Institute) Scores range from 0 to 5+.[3] (deprecated) * Interagency Language Roundtable Scores range from 0 to 5.[4] (evolved from FSI) * Language Proficiency Index * ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines ACTFL recognises ten different levels of proficiency: â€Å"novice†, â€Å"intermediate†, â€Å"advanced†, and â€Å"superior†, of which the first three are each subdivided into â€Å"low†, â€Å"mid†, and â€Å"high†. * Common European Framework of Reference for Languages CEF recognises six levels: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2. Proficiency tests * CELPE-Bras (Certificate of Proficiency in Portuguese for Foreigners) * Defense Language Proficiency Tests * DELE (Diplomas of Spanish as Foreign Language) * Examination for Japanese University Admission * General English Proficiency Test * Hà  nyÇ” ShuÇ pà ­ng KÇŽoshà ¬ (æ ±â€°Ã¨ ¯ ­Ã¦ ° ´Ã¥ ¹ ³Ã¨â‚¬Æ'è ¯â€¢) * IELTS (International English Language Testing System) * iTEP (International Test of English Proficiency * Japanese Language Proficiency Test (æâ€" ¥Ã¦Å" ¬Ã¨ ªÅ¾Ã¨Æ' ½Ã¥Å â€ºÃ¨ © ¦Ã© ¨â€œ Nihongo NÃ… ryoku Shiken) * Language Proficiency Assessment for Teachers * The European Language Certificates (telc – language tests) * TOEFL (Test Of English as a Foreign Language) * TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) * TEPS (Test of English Proficiency developed by Seoul National University) * Test of Russian as a Foreign Language * Test de franà §ais international * Test de connaissance du franà §ais * TOCFL(è  ¯Ã¨ ªÅ¾Ã¦â€"‡èÆ' ½Ã¥Å â€ºÃ¦ ¸ ¬Ã© ©â€" Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language) * UBELT (University of Bath English Language Test) * University of Cambridge ESOL examination See also: Language tests category ————————————————- [edit]Professional organizations * Alliance franà §aise * American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages * Association of Language Testers in Europe * Foreign service institute * Goethe-Institut * UCLES * UNIcert * Instituto Cervantes * UBELT ————————————————- References 1. ^ www.ncela.gwu.edu 2. ^ http://lauder.wharton.upenn.edu 3. ^ www.utm.edu 4. ^ www.utm.edu English proficiency is the the ability to speak, read and/or write in English. To be considered truly proficient, one should have advanced abilities in all three areas of communication. English Proficiency In The Philippines I recently read that 80% of teachers failed their English proficiency exam and that some CallCenters are closing because of a lack of applicants who have a level of English fluencydemanded by the industry.I am a Native Speaker (Canadian / UK) with over 20 years experince presenting Englishlanguage programs for the Canadian federal and provincial governments, several colleges and auniversity. After moving to thePhilippinesI continued my presentions and teaching to foreigners in ESL schools.Recently I decided to change my ESL students. Why should I be teaching foreiners English whenwhat I should be doing is giving the Filipno a chance to improve their chances of having achallenging and rewarding career?. It makes more sense to me, to help them to improve their English to a level of fluency that most companies both here in the Philippines and abroaddemand†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.Lets give the Filipino a chance to improve their position in lifeMy first opportunity was to present my English fluency program to English teachers in the private school sector. 80% failed the initial testing, However, later 80% achieved a much higher level of fluency after completing the program. The EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI) is a report which attempts to rank countries by the average level of English skills amongst adults. It is the product of EF Education First, a global language training company, and draws its conclusions from data collected via online English tests available for free over the internet. The report was published for the first time in March, 2011 based on the results of over 2 million test takers.[1] The most recent ranking was released in October, 2012. ——†”—————————————- Methodology The 2012 index is compiled from the results of 1.7 million adults who took one of three short online English tests between 2009 and 2011. The test takers were self-selected and no demographic information was collected on them. The tests are used by the company for marketing and placement purposes. 52 countries and 2 territories appear in the 2012 index. All other countries did not have enough test takers to be considered valid. In order to be included a country was required to have at least 400 test takers total.[2] ————————————————- Findings The report is composed of a country ranking table, several pages of analysis with graphs correlating other economic and social factors with English proficiency, and regional analyses of Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa. The 2012 report includes data for the first time comparing women to men, and comparing different age groups by English proficiency. The website displays portions of the report and has in-depth profiles of the role of English in 15 countries [3] which are not contained in the report. Eleven country factsheets are presented separately from the report. These provide data on how cities and regions scored within the country. Primary conclusions 1. Exports per capita, Gross National Income per capita and average number of years of schooling all correlate positively with English proficiency. That is to say wealthier countries speak better English. 2. The factor that correlates best to English proficiency is Internet usage. 3. Europe as a whole speaks the best English, Latin America the worst. 4. Starting English education younger in school does not necessarily improve adult proficiency. ————————————————- Criticism The EF English Proficiency Index has been criticized for its lack of representative sampling in each country.[4] The report states that participants in the tests are self-selected and must have access to the internet. This pushes the index towards the realm of an online survey rather than a statistically valid evaluation. However there are few alternative comparisons available of countries by their English skills, and those that exist are smaller in scale, as is the case with a reported British Council study,[1] or they have other sampling flaws, as is the case with rankings of countries by standardized English test scores such as the TOEFL.[5] The European Commission performed a language survey, SurveyLang, which tests a representative sample of 15 year old European students on their foreign language skills. The first report and data sets were released for 13 European countries in June 2012 [6] ———————————à ¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- References 1. ^ a b English: Who speaks English?. The Economist. Retrieved on 2011-05-29. 2. ^ EF English Proficiency Index – Comparing English skills between countries – EF EPI. Ef.com. Retrieved on 2011-05-29. 3. ^ English around the world – Country profiles – EF EPI. Ef.com. Retrieved on 2011-05-29. 4. ^ The English Blog: EF English Proficiency Ranking. Jeffreyhill.typepad.com (2011-03-30). Retrieved on 2011-05-29. 5. ^ TOEFL: Test and Score Data Summaries. Ets.org. Retrieved on 2011-05-29. 6. ^ [1]. European Commission. Retrieved on 2012-09-20. Communicative Competence and English as an International Language Language is used for expressing our thoughts , and for verbal thinking, problem-solving, and creative writing, but it is used essentially for communication. What makes it difficult to grasp the language user’s systems of representation for communication with others is the fact that the capability of individuals to interact with others through language is a unique quality and at the same time a universal human quality. The successful language use for communication presupposes the development of communicative competence in the users of that language and that the use of language is constrained by the socio-cultural norms of the society where the language is used. The use of English in Britain is influenced by the British socio-cultural norms which underlie individual differences. So are American English, Indian English, Nigerian English, and Singaporean English. That holds true in areas where English is used daily either as a native language or as a second language. In the use of English for international communication, however, what society’s or societies’ socio-cultural norms should be observed? Should they be the Anglo-American norms because speakers use American or British English as the model? Or would they be the socio-cultural norms of speakers’ native societies, which are not conspicuous nevertheless inevitably ooze out? Or is there what might be called pan- human or universal socio-cultural norm(s) overarching individual societies and cultures? In this paper, I would first review communicative competence briefly, then discuss what English as an International Language (EIL) is, and lastly argue that communicative competence, especially socio-cultural competence, of EIL speakers does not necessarily need to be that of native English speakers. English Proficiency English nowadays is considered as the universal language; for which it is understood by almost all countries around the world. It is used by most people as their second language. First, it is a way of communication in business, negotiations & especially in academics. It plays an important role in the basic education, particularly to speaking and writing (Kumar, 2009). English proficiency must be treated as an additional skill. In reality, a country needs to build familiarity, friendship and collaborate with other countries as well. It is the government’s obligation to give good quality of education to be able to work and communicate in a wider and competitive world (Alave, 2006). English proficiency pertains to the ability to speak, read and write in English. To be considered as truly proficient, you should have an advanced skill in this. We know that English is the universal language, to communicate to those people in other countries; you have to speak in English so they will understand what you are saying. We all know that lately, our country, Philippines is known for being English proficient of its citizen. But, this advantage is being eroded by other rising competitions with declining mastery of some college graduates. Just recently, a language test was taken by IDP Education Pty. Ltd. Philippines which showed that our country is no longer the top English-speaking country in Asia. This may be so because some students nowadays do not even try to enhance their English skill. LOW ENGLISH PROFICIENCY; CAUSES AND EFFECTS TO UNIVERSITY STUDENTS The low levels of English proficiency among university students nowadays becoming a hot issue among academic thinkers. This is because the students’ English language skills are not being developed during their higher education experience. Thus, reflects negatively on the quality of higher education and its graduates. The factors low English proficiency among most learners are due to two factors; internal factors such as no confident when using English, negative attitude towards the English language and external factor like the limited opportunities to use English outside the classroom. Most learners have lack of confidence when using English language. For example, the person that has low self-confidence may refuse to use the language in publics. Anna Freud once said â€Å"I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence but it comes from within. It is there all the time.† This shown that confident levels are decreasing when the learners are lack of self-confidence to use this language. They are afraid to be wrong and prejudiced about it. The second reason is the negative attitudes towards the English language. For information, attitude has been defined as the inclination to act or to be in a state of ‘readiness’ to act (Gagne, 1985). The learners just learnt English for pass the examination not using it as their second language. Students in university generally find it difficult to maintain their interest in English language learning as English is not seen as important for their immediate needs other than to pass their examination. A lot of negative attitudes build up from unfamiliarity with the culture of the target language (Tucker and lambert, 1973). Malay students from small towns or rural places usually grown up in a situation that English is unimportant language, not like their speaking homes language, Bahasa Melayu. English Proficiency for Global Competitiveness For some years, the Philippines was well-known as the only English-speaking country in Southeast Asia. The fluency of the English language came from the Americans who once occupied our coasts. In that period of time, we stood at an advantage from our neighbor countries. We got a lot of profits because we could speak the language that most developed countries use. Filipinos had already been capable of persuading foreign investors to set in our country even before other Asian countries realized the need to train their citizens in utilizing the English language to be able to converse with other countries and increase their economies. That is why we held a great promise of development during those times. After some years, we shifted to use our national language as the medium for instruction in school, government facilities, and everywhere with our belief that people would learn better and they would become more nationalistic. The advocates of the English language, then, suddenly had to give way to those who are in favor of our native language. Language, indeed, became an issue. Well, it does not mean that if we use the English language, we are less nationalistic. We have been using Filipino in our lives for several years already and we have actually seen its effect. We could say that it had not really made a significant difference in terms of the students’ rate of learning and development in our country. I think, it is about time that we embrace the use of the English language once more so we could be more competitive globally. Surely we have to move back to square one as we try to regain the edge that we lost. Right motivation and proper attitude towards the acquisition of the English language will undoubtedly help us become confident and adept in the language. Stop neglecting the English language, let’s use it. English Proficiency in the Philippines Introduction Because English is so widely spoken, it has often been referred to as a â€Å"world language†, the lingua franca of the modern era, and while it is not an official language in most countries, it is currently the language most often taught as a foreign language. The history of the English language really started with the arrival of three Germanic tribes who invaded Britain during the 5th century AD. These tribes, the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes, crossed the North Sea from what today is Denmark and northern Germany. At that time the inhabitants of Britain spoke a Celtic language. But most of the Celtic speakers were pushed west and north by the invaders – mainly into what is now Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The Angles came from England and their language was called Englisc – from which the words England and English are derived. Approximately 375 million people speak English as their first language. English today is probably the third largest language by number of native speakers, after Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. However, when combining native and non-native speakers it is probably the most commonly spoken language in the world, though possibly second to a combination of the Chinese languages (depending on whether or not distinctions in the latter are classified as â€Å"languages† or â€Å"dialects†). Countries such as the Philippines, Jamaica and Nigeria also have millions of native speakers of dialect continua ranging from an English-based creole to a more standard version of English. Ways to Improve English Proficiency This article was created by a professional writer and edited by experienced copy editors, both qualified members of the Demand Media Studios community. All articles go through an editorial process that includes subject matter guidelines, plagiarism review, fact-checking, and other steps in an effort to provide reliable information. By Gregory Hamel, eHow Contributor 1. o English is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. Gaining English proficiency can be an important aspect of education in many fields from business to aviation to science. Even native English speakers can benefit from increasing knowledge and improving writing skills. There are many accessible ways to improve English proficiency effectively without taking formal classes. Speak Regularly o One of the most important aspects of gaining proficiency in any language is speaking it regularly. Self-study can improve reading and comprehension skills, but interacting with other English speakers is essential for boosting real-world comprehension and practical use of the English language. If you live in a bilingual home, designate a certain amount of time each day for speaking only in English. Making English-speaking friends, perhaps those interested in learning a different language that you speak, can help increase proficiency. Living in an English-speaking country will help immerse you in the language and increase all aspects of your English knowledge. Media o Watching or listening to media in English is a way to improve English comprehension without feeling like you are studying. Watch popular English movies and listen to English music. Avoid watching dubbed films in favor of those with English voice and subtitles. ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY LEVELS The definitions of the five limited-English language proficiency levels, as well as Level 6, one of two fully-English language proficiency levels, are from PI 13.08(3)(1)-(6), Wisconsin Administrative Rule. Level 7, the other fully-English language proficiency level, is used for purposes of state reporting/state testing. Level 1—Beginning/Preproduction [WIDA level = Entering]: A pupil shall be classified level 1 if the pupil does not understand or speak English with the exception of a few isolated words or expressions. Level 2—Beginning/Production [WIDA level = Beginning]: A pupil shall be classified level 2 if all of the following criteria are met: (a) The pupil understands and speaks conversational and academic English with hesitancy and difficulty. (b) The pupil understands parts of lessons and simple directions. (c) The pupil is at a pre-emergent or emergent level of reading and writing in English, significantly below grade level. Level 3—Intermediate [WIDA level = Developing]: A pupil shall be classified level 3 if all of the following criteria are met: (a) The pupil understands and speaks conversational and academic English with decreasing hesitancy and difficulty. (b) The pupil is post-emergent, developing reading comprehension and writing skills in English. (c) The pupil’s English literacy skills allow the student to demonstrate academic knowledge in content areas with assistance. Level 4—Advanced Intermediate [WIDA level = Expanding]: A pupil shall be classified level 4 if all of the following criteria are met: (a) The pupil understands and speaks conversational English without apparent difficulty, but understands and speaks academic English with some hesitancy. (b) The pupil continues to acquire reading and writing skills in content areas needed to achieve grade level expectations with assistance. ENGLISH PROFICIENCY: HOW MUCH OF A PROBLEM IS IT? For many of us, the state of education in a country speaks volumes. Where English is spoken and taught as a second language, fluency is deemed a basic requirement for proper communication and propagation of ideas and connotes success. Does this fluency actually translate to a country’s economic success and overall standing in the world of nations? Back when American influence on teachers was still strong in the 1950s, I recall instances where all of us, pupils then, were required to speak English in English class or be fined five centavos per instance of speaking in Ilocano, a major dialect of northern Philippines. Five centavos then was a hefty sum. Tagalog, now Filipino, was not commonly in use at the time. Each one of us would try to catch anyone who committed the â€Å"sin† and report it to a classmate assigned to collect the fines who, in turn, would submit the list of offenders to the teacher. We never asked where those collections went. Teachers were the bosses and their word was law. No one questioned them. They stood on pedestals and we looked up to them with much respect. Teaching was a very respectable profession. Looking back, I now realize that our teachers in elementary and high school, then spoke or at least taught us proper English and with much enthusiasm. Perhaps my siblings and I had the added advantage of being raised by parents who happened to be teachers. Several of their brothers and sisters were graduates of the Philippine Normal School. Books we used were brought in by the American teachers and ministers–from readers, to hymnals, to almanacs. There were practically no Filipino authors that we knew of. American influence gave us a decided advantage over our Asian neighbors. The country enjoyed a privileged status in the region as a consequence of this. Engish is the standard form of communication. It’s used worldwide by people who are from different countries but need to communicate with each other. English is also seen as the business language, as for reasons mentioned above. We study it also for the reasons we study any language-we need to have a way to articulate the things we need and desire. English is also used primarily on the internet-which today connects millions of people world wide. English is used in many different countries also because curing the Colonial and Imperial Age, Britain proved to be â€Å"successful† at gaining colonies on different continents around the world. MUCH has been said about the importance of English in our schools and here is another to add to the sum total. There is a saying that if you have something the world wants, it will beat a path to your door wherever you may be; but if the world has something you want, then you have to go out to get it. As of now, what we want from the outside world is the latest knowledge in all fields of human endeavour. Undeniably, most of these are couched in English and to acquire them we have to be proficient in the language. Having acquired and returned with new knowledge, the need is to disseminate it through learning institutions for the benefit of the country. Teaching it to those proficient in English is straight forward. But to recipients who are monolingual in Bahasa Malaysia, translations will be required, and this can be slow and time-consuming. Depending on translations alone is hardly an efficient way to keep up with the latest advances. Perhaps that is why our government is encouraging bilingualism – English and Bahasa Malaysia – in our national schools. But individual proficiency in English will differ and it may require enhancement depending on one’s career leanings. If one wishes to engage in local business or to take up more mundane occupations, then perhaps knowing Bahasa Malaysia alone will be adequate, but of course, a smattering of English will always help. But if one aspires to be a diplomat, a scientist or to enrol in an English university, then a greater depth in English is required. Since Bahasa Malaysia is the national language, it has to be taught in schools. It is the glue that binds our people together for national betterment. English, on the other hand is the currency for international discourse, without which we would be isolated. Hence, until such time when we are an advanced country and our national language is brought to a wider and impeccable level and our people can invent things the world will want, then the world will indeed beat a path to our shores to learn from us and in our national language. C.P.B., Kuala Lumpur. Today, there are many people all of the world study English. Most of people think that maybe english becomes their second language. But have you ever wondered:† Why do we need to learn English†. Why don’t we searching about it? First, English helps you to improve friendship and maybe include our knowledge around the world. Nowadays, many people have a wider friendship around the world. So learning English is an important way to communicate with friends from another countries. Absolutely, learning English can help you to make more friends, we can exchange with a lot of people, improve our relationships. From that, we can learn more, open our knowledge world. Every year, there are lots of teenagers go overseas to learn for themselves, to improve every important, to bring every new thing from another countries to our country. Second, English helps you to connect our country to the world or we can learn more about another countries’s tradition. Learning English, we can introduce every beautiful things, places,†¦ to internaional friends from another countries. Foreigners wil be curious and they will travel to our country. On the contrary, we can understand more special traditional foods, cultures,†¦ from another countries. I think it’s great so we need to learn English Finally, we can find jobsmore easily. Today, all companies need their wokers know at least on language, especially English. In some international companies, every person have to know English well. So we need to learn English in other to have a good job for you. You can see. Learning is very important way to climb on our future stepladder. I hope that people wil learn English for themselves and for their future. English is one of the legacy`s examples that was left by the British colonial rule in Malaysia long time ago. It is one of the most crucial foreign languages in Malaysia and even around the world nowadays, and is used widely and quite extensively in all aspects of daily life. English and the national language of Malaysia, `Bahasa Malaysia`, both play a very important role in tighten together our multicultural nation. English and `Bahasa Malaysia` helps to unite people and to create a unique national awareness. Instead of its history, Malaysia has recently showed a sharp decline in the English language proficiency. According to Murugesan (2003), the decline is largely due to a backwash effect from a change implemented in the early 1960s and 1970s when `Bahasa Malaysia` replaced English as the medium of instruction in schools and as the language used for official matters. On the other hand, according to Lee (2002), the drop in proficiency of English has not been due so much to the emphasis on Malay, but it is primarily the result of bad attitudes to language and poor approaches to the teaching of language. The decline of English language proficiency will lead to other side effects that will someday give out various major problems to us. Due to the decline in our country, it might be a step backward from other country around the world from the information and technology aspect and other related aspects. In this essay, I will critically response about the topic, `English Language Proficiency Should Not Be Taken for Granted` based on the three articles that have been chooses. The first article that I have chooses is mainly about the importance of English language proficiency. The second article talks about the steps that will be taken to enhance the English usage, while the third article discuss about suggestions to strengthen the students English language proficiency.

Report Writing of Investigatory Project

WRITING A REPORT An investigatory science project ends with a report. This report also known as technical paper, includes the following patterns: A. ACKNOWLEDGMENT This is the list of people who advise the student in undertaking the investigatory project. B. TITLE The title should be able to catch the attention of the reader. It should be concise, descriptive and self-explanatory. It should indicate clearly what the project is about. The phrase â€Å"A Study to Show† should be avoided, because in research you do not seek to prove something but rather to impartially find an answer.C. ABSTRACT This is a short paragraph of not more than 200 to 290 words which give the essential or principal features of the project or study. This should be descriptive or informative enough to present a comprehensive picture of the study. D. INTRODUCTION This section includes the following: 1. Background of the study This presents the reason that led the investigator to launch the study. A historic al background may be given. Or the background of the study may state some observations and other relevant conditions that prompted the investigator to explore the problem.Some questions to guide you while writing this part of the paper are the following: -Why did I select this research project? -Are there others who have done similar studies? -What have others done or not done that move or spurred me to work on this project? -What are my own observations which are relevant to the study? -Will the results of the study make any contribution in the attainment of a better quality of life? 2. Statement of the Problem and Objectives This must state what you aimed to accomplish. Whether the problem is stated in the form of question or declarative statement, always use brief, precise and accurate statements.The objective should be stated positively and in the declarative form. Define the general objective or main problem and the specific objective(s) or sub-problem(s) you are trying to answ er or resolve. State these such that they are definitely and clearly related to the data obtained. 3. significant of the Project State why the study is worth making and how it can contribute to you as an individual, to your community and to your country. 4. Delimitation/Limitations of the Study/Project Delimitation refers to the scope and extent of your study within the subject or topic area.Limitation includes the extent of your knowledge and experience in the area. Moreover, it includes the practical and ethical considerations that affected the way you designed and executed your research plan. 5. Review of Related Literature This part helps the reader of previous studies make on the project’s topic or problem. The basic features of this part are: a. Studies which are related in purpose, method or findings to your present study. b. Summary statements of the studies being reviewed, The summary should show the transitions from earlier to past studies and relationships of previ ous studies to your present project problem. . Pertinent portions of relevant literature. The last name(s) of the author(s) followed by the year of publication in which the information appeared, should be enclosed in parenthesis and given at the end of the statement. E. MATERIALS AND METHODS 1. Materials and Equipment List down the materials, reagents, chemicals, plants, animals and other experimental units, as well as equipment that were used in performing the experiment. 2. Treatment or General Procedure Describe the procedure in such a way that anyone who is completely unfamiliar with your topic or methods will know exactly what you did.Also, should the reader desire to repeat your research, he can easily do so. It is important to cite the references for the methods or treatment you used and to describe in detail any modification you introduced. You should include the following: the number of trials performed, the variables used, and how you gathered and organized the data. F. OB SERVATIONS/FINDINGS Present clearly and precisely what you observed. The method you used to summarize your data depends on the type of investigation and project you have undertaken. Graphic representations in the forms of diagrams, tables, photographs and slides, etc. re also effective in presenting data. G. ANALYSIS OF DATA Present your analysis of the data. Give the meaning, relationship and significance that the data reveal. H. GENERALIZATION Your interpretation of the data leads you to make some generalizations. You can arrive at these generalizations either by deduction or induction. Present the line of reasoning which led you to these generalizations. I. APPLICATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS State the implications and practical applications of your findings. Several applications may be due to some limitations of your experiment or investigation.At this point, you should suggest any further research which would be an outgrowth of your study. J. BIBILIOGRAPHY List all the references use d in your investigation either alphabetically or in the order of citing in the text of the scientific paper. If the reference is a book, state the author, title, place of publication, publisher, date and pages cited. If the references is a magazine article, state the author, title of the article, name of magazine, date and number of issue and page number. If the internet is used, indicate the website. Passion for Truth and Compassion for Humanity Thanks to Philo for providing this copy.

Endeca Technologies Essay

Executive Summary Endeca Technologies is a software company that established by Steve Papa on September 4th 2001. In the case, the company is currently looking for a Series C round funding to reduce the expected pre-money valuation multiple times because of the NASDAQ had fallen. In the end, the company got a rough pre-money valuation of $25M. At this time, there are two different term sheets that each of them contains some pros and cons putting in front of Papa to let him choose. Overall, Papa should choose the first term sheet because the benefits in that term sheet are more than the second term sheet, and at the same time it has less cons. Does Endeca look like a good investment at this time? Overall, Endeca looks like a risky choice for investors to invest. Since Endeca is a technology software company, this industry is very competitive and intensive; everyday there are new firms emerge in this industry with new technologies and ideas. At the beginning, Endeca planed to make a Series C round funding in around November and Decemeber in 2000. However, because of the NASDAQ was falling, the CEO Papa realized that raising funding at that time was vey hard. Thus, Papa extended the funds from Series B to an extra six months. Papa’s action gave many other firms to have the chances to catch up and build up their technologies and management strategies. Thus after this six-months delay, Endeca needs to put in more effort to gain back its market status. What are the motivations for BVP and Venrock? Ampersand? Bessemer Venture Partners and Venrock invested in the second round on Endeca. Because Papa had connections with Venrock, where he had served a summer internship while at HBS. Papa and Venrock built the good relationship at that time, thus Venrock is willing to invest in Endeca, which is his motivation to invest in the firm. Ampersand is a new potentially company that will invest in Endeca in Series C. This is a very diversified company and so far they didn’t invest in any technology company similar to Endeca  yet. First, because Ampersand never invested in any firm in this industry yet, as a diversified investing firm, they are willing to take the chance to try new thing to invest on Endeca. Secondly, Ampersand has a long-standing connection to Endeca’s top management team, which is also Ampersand’s motivation to invest in Endeca. How has the CEO handled the C round? Would you do anything different? The CEO Papa hasn’t handled the Series C round well due to many different reasons. First, as mentioned before, because at that time the NASDAQ was falling, in order to avoid the bad investment situation and wished the market will get better again, Papa stretched the Series B investment for an extra six months. However, this turned out to be a bad decision. The fact is that the market didn’t improve later and the company was having difficult to get the term sheet from investors. Secondly, even though fortunately Papa got two term sheets in the end, what he did wrong was that he made a verbal commitment to the insider-led and a potential client DGSCP says that one offer is better than the other one. If in the end Papa choose the other offer, he might be risky on breaking his words in front of DGSCP and losing business with them. If I were responsible for handling the C round, I would definitely do things differently. First of all, I would not delay the Series C round investment. I think investment funds are extremely important on doing a business; it is always better to prepare for enough funding rather than need it but cannot get the money. In addition, I would not bring the insider-led and the potential client DGSCP into the deal to give any verbal commitment before I made my decision. Provide a detailed discussion of the pros and cons of the two term sheets. Which is more favorable to Endeca? Evaluate the two term sheets both financially (in terms of value) and non-financially (other terms.) Which provides them with a higher probability of survival and success? First Term Sheet Pros Cons Many investors who invested before, easier for the transition Barely dilutes Venrock Original Price equals to Liquidation Preference Made verbal commitment before Potential client DGSCP involved Lower price per share, $0.985/share Less Capital Low valuation Second Term Sheet Pros Cons Higher Price per share, $1.25/share More capital Bring in new investors, new opportunity Lose Anger Series B investors and DGSCP in the C round More complicated because of new investors Ampersand doesn’t have much experience in investing this industry Accrued dividends and redemption rights As the chief representative for Endeca’s shareholders, which deal should recommend to the Board? Why? As the chief representative for Endeca’s shareholders, I think Papa should choose the first term sheet. According to the analysis above, the first term  sheet has more benefits over the second term sheet and less cons compared to the second term sheet. The only thing I concern about the first term sheet is the capital is less than the second term sheet. However, in reality the capital that the second term sheet provided is still far from what Papa initially wanted for Series C. Most importantly, because Papa made the verbal commitment with the potential DGSCP client that he would choose the first term sheet, consider the future cooperation and business that Papa would probably do with DGSCP, I think it is a wise choice to choose the first one at this point.

Outsourcing keeping India and Pakistan in reference Essay

Outsourcing keeping India and Pakistan in reference - Essay Example This research also presents the development and trends in the field of outsourcing. Earlier or later on, every software development organization asks a simple question: â€Å"Is there any way that we can acquire the software and systems we require at a slighter expenditure?† The answer to this query is not straightforward, and the moving conversations or debates that take place in response to this question always direct to a single word: outsourcing (Pressman, 2001). With the passage of time, the fashion of outsourcing is growing in the fields of information technology. And organizations are gaining competitive advantages and saving their resources by outsourcing their needs. The responsibilities of the management increase when they decide for outsourcing (Palvia, 2000) and (Laudon & Laudon, 1999, p. 381). According to (Shelly, Cashman, & Vermaat, 2005, p. 638), organizations have two choices: By outsourcing, organizations can pay attention on their interior business at the same time as letting others with extra expertise to carry out some portion of their business management activities. Some organizations outsource just the software development portion of their IT operation. On the other hand, others outsource more or every part of their IT operations. The reason of doing this is to keep on competitive in this period of incessantly changeable technology (Shelly, Cashman, & Vermaat, 2005, p. 638). All this depend on an organization’s needs, external organizations can handle as much or as little of the IT needs as indispensable or desired. Mostly external organizations can proffer hardware and software. Others offer an assortment of services encompassing Web design and development, Web hosting, customer service, billing, Sales, marketing, and officially authorized support, an Internet solutions provider is a corporation that offers Web hosting services that consist of administration of shopping carts, inventory, and credit card processing

Freedom of press versus rights of privacy Essay

Freedom of press versus rights of privacy - Essay Example has become easier to invade into the privacy of others, and it is here that issues related to the invasion of the press also arises significantly (Bridegam 2009). In general there are law in most countries and states to support the rights of privacy for the public. Such laws try to maintain a balance between the rights of privacy of individuals and the freedom of the media or press that causes public interests as well (Invasion of Privacy n.d.). The matter of fact is that the acts of invasion by the press or the media cause harmful experiences for the individuals whose privacies are invaded. For example in case a newspaper prints a nude picture of a woman, particularly without her consent, then the newspaper acts as a wrongdoer affecting the life of the woman. Privacy could be valued if the press and the media sources would prevent from harming the personal space and affairs of individuals (Solove 2004). While several researchers have been interested in the topic and have done significant research to understand the issues raised in relation to freedom of press and rights of privacy, there are several policies as well that have been developed over the recent years concerning the various issues. Open data policy is one such policy that has been developed over the recent years for the protection and management of essential information sources and maintains the privacy of the same. However this particular study is focused on theories and theoretical studies that have been conducted on the concerned topic and hence determines the issues and solutions to freedom of press against the rights of privacy. The rights to privacy have unnerved the way the press and the media always intend to intervene into the privacy of lives. The rights to privacy focus on giving privacy to individuals and allow them to be left alone. The rights of privacy have become an emergency in the present times causing concern for the press rights and their fare acts in the near future. However